The spirituality of Genesis centers on God as Creator and God as a Faithful Partner.
"In the beginning, God..." The Spirit of God hovers over the creation. The Lord makes all things. He is therefore the God of all power and wisdom.
What's more, he creates everything good. Very good.
Now it looks as if most everything is bad. Pain, injustice, violence, and disaster surround us. If there is a God, some say, he must be evil, or powerless, or unconcerned. But the good news of Genesis is that the God we serve is not only powerful and wise—he is good. He made things good. And when they go bad, he still works his good will.
So things are not the way they were supposed to be. Genesis begins the story of a God who is working to make things right.
When humans abandon their proper place and rebel against the Lord, he punishes them as any loving father would. But he does not abandon humanity or the rest of his creation. Genesis tells the story of how God works in surprising ways through human choices, good and bad, to reclaim and restore his creation. He works in unlikely people—Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Pharaoh, and others. He initiates covenant with them. Even when they break covenant, he faithfully pursues them.
Genesis tells of a faithful God. And the Lord in turn expects his people to be faithful. That means trusting him, especially when his ways do not make sense. Abraham is willing to sacrifice his own son. Joseph trusts even when he is a slave and a prisoner. As we meditate on these stories of those who trusted, followed, and wrestled with God, let us open ourselves to his Spirit. Let us trust his inscrutable ways. Let us believe God so he might, through his covenant of love, count us as righteous.
Gary Holloway is the past Executive Director of the World Convention of Churches of Christ. Before that he taught spiritual formation at Lipscomb University in Nashville. Holding degrees from Freed-Hardeman, Harding, the University of Texas, and Emory University, he has written or edited over thirty books, including several volumes in the Meditative Commentary on the New Testament series. He is married to Deb Rogers Holloway.
“For decades, Gary Holloway has helped Christians grow in their faith and understanding through reading Scripture with our whole person in view, not just our fact-finding or rule-following impulses. In this new volume of his Meditative Commentary, he guides us through a spiritually rich reading of Genesis. By raising questions whose answers can change our lives, he helps us hear behind the ancient stories the voice of God. There can be no higher praise for a Christian teacher’s life. Thanks to Gary’s labors, we can grow to cherish the gift of Scripture and see it work in our lives.”
—Mark W. Hamilton, Robert and Kay Onstead Professor of Biblical Studies, Abilene Christian University, author of The Transforming Word
“Genesis teaches us much about God as Creator, Provider, Covenant Partner, and Protector. Gary Holloway’s meditative commentary on Genesis is an excellent resource for moving beyond knowing about this God in Genesis to actually knowing and deepening our relationship with our Creator, Provider, Covenant Partner, and Protector through Genesis. This meditative commentary is an excellent guide into such a relationship for small groups, Bible classes, and individual Christians.”
—Phillip Camp, Professor of Bible, Lipscomb University, author of Living as the Kingdom of God: Moses Speaks to the Church through Deuteronomy
